This volume covers every aspect of Italian political life from core concepts through key personalities, political traditions, historical periods, civil society actors, social dynamics, and external relations.

• Preface


• I. Core Concepts


• 1: James L. Newell: La Classe Dirigente


• 2: Anthony L. Cardoza: The Risorgimento


• 3: Marco Valbruzzi: Trasformismo


• 4: Maurizio Cotta: Partitocracy: Parties and Their Critics in Italian Political Life


• 5: John A. Davis: A Tale of Two Italies? The 'Southern Question' Past and Present


• II. Political Institutions


• 6: Giuliano Amato: The Constitution


• 7: Gianfranco Pasquino: The Presidents of the Republic


• 8: Mauro Calise: Government and Prime Minister


• 9: Salvatore Vassallo: The Parliament


• 10: Carlo Guarnieri: The Courts


• 11: Marta Regalia: Electoral Systems


• 12: Carol Mershon: Party Systems in Post-World War II Italy


• 13: Simona Piattoni: Bureaucracy


• III. Political Traditions


• 14: Gianfranco Baldini: Christian Democracy: The Italian Party


• 15: Paolo Bellucci: Communists


• 16: Nicolò Conti: Socialists, Republicans, and Radicals


• 17: Piero Ignazi: Fascists and Post-fascists


• 18: Gianluca Passarelli: Populism and the Lega Nord


• 19: Giovanni Orsina: Liberalism and Liberals


• IV. Political Periods


• 20: Paolo Pombeni: Christian Democracy in Power, 1946-1963


• 21: Ilaria Favretto: The 'Opening to the Left'


• 22: Stephen Hellman: The Compromesso Storico


• 23: Martin J. Bull: The Pentapartito


• 24: Martin Rhodes: Tangentopoli - More than Twenty Years on


• 25: Jonathan Hopkin: Bipolarity (and After)


• V. Major Figures


• 26: Aldo Agosti: Alcide De Gasperi and Palmiro Togliati


• 27: Valerio Castronovo: Gianni Agnelli and Enrico Mattei


• 28: Emanuele Bernardi: Aldo Moro and Enrico Berlinguer


• 29: Antonio Varsori: Bettino Craxi and Giulio Andreotti


• 30: Mark Donovan and Mark Gilbert: Silvio Berlusconi and Romano Prodi


• VI. Religion and Politics


• 31: Alberto Melloni: The Catholic Hierarchy


• 32: Paolo Acanfora: The Catholic Right


• 33: Roberto Cipriani and Verónica Roldán: Religious Differentiation and New Religions in Italy


• 34: Massimo Teodori: The Laity


• VII. Economic Institutions, Associations, and Interests


• 35: Chiara Saraceno: Trends and Tensions within the Italian Family


• 36: Giuseppe Berta: Industry and the Firm


• 37: Patrick Vesan: Labour Market Policy and Politics


• 38: Maurizio Ferrera and Matteo Jessoula: The Welfare State: Pensions and Health Care


• 39: Lucia Quaglia: The Bank of Italy


• 40: Marino Regini: Trade Unions


• 41: Carlo Carboni: Liberal and Licensed Professions


• 42: Vera Zamagni: The Cooperative Movement


• VIII. Politics, Culture, and Society


• 43: Stephen Gundle: Cinema and Television


• 44: Paolo Mancini: Print Media


• 45: Nadia Urbinati: Intellectuals


• 46: David Hine: Public Ethics and Political Corruption in Italy


• 47: Donatella Campus: Women in Politics


• 48: Giuseppe Sciortino: Immigration


• 49: Donatella della Porta: Social Movements


• 50: Anna Cento Bull: Terrorist Movements


• 51: Letizia Paoli: Mafia, Camorra and 'Ndrangheta


• IX. External Relations


• 52: Mario Del Pero: Italy and the Atlantic Alliance


• 53: Vincent Della Sala: Gli Esami Non Finiscono Mai : Italy and the European Union


• 54: Roberto Aliboni: Italy and the Mediterranean after WWII

Erik Jones is Professor of European Studies and Director of European and Eurasian Studies at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) of the Johns Hopkins University.
Gianfranco Pasquino is the James Anderson Senior Adjunct Professor at the School of Advanced International Studies of The Johns Hopkins University, and was Professor of Political Science at the University of Bologna until 2012. He was a member of the Italian Senate (1983-1992: 1994-1996); has served as a parliamentary observer for the plebiscite (1988) and presidential elections (1989) in Chile; was awarded the laurea honoris causa from the Catholic University of Cordoba, University of Buenos Aires and University de La Plata; and is a member of the Editorial Board of the Enciclopedia Italiana, President of the Società Italiana di Scienza Politica and a member of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei.